Interview with Visiting Artist Tim Packer

How would you describe your painting style?

TIM: I don’t think my work fits any of the commonly used terms and I am still searching for a concise way of describing it. It is definitely representational with elements of abstract and impressionism with an over riding focus on design or composition.

Who, if any, were the principle influences over your work?

TIM: In terms of the famous historical artists it would have to be Tom Thomson, Van Gogh and Lauren Harris….Then there are the illustrators Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and Bernie Fuchs… and finally Zoltan Szabo, one of the most influential watercolour instructors and innovators of the 20th century. I had the great pleasure to come to know him in the later years of his life and he gave me the best advice as an artist that I have ever received. At the time I was painting in a very high fidelity realism. Zoltan said to me that this was a very valid choice in terms of stylistic approach but that I must recognize that it was in fact a choice. He went on to say that I had the technical ability to paint any subject matter and recreate the real world on the paper or canvas… But wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could create my own world on canvas? and wouldn’t it be a shame if the world never got to see it because I never even thought to look for it. That brief conversation forever changed the way I approached painting and inevitably changed my life.

How has landscape painting in Canada changed, in your opinion, since Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven?

TIM: I think that we all owe Tom Thomson and the group of seven a huge debt for their contribution to Canadian Art. The biggest change that I see is that now for probably the first time in history there is no “ism” that is dominating the art scene. It doesn’t matter whether you your style is realism, impressionism, abstract expressionism or anything in between if the work is strong then there is a market for it. I was teaching several years ago at the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour symposium at the University of Calgary and I ducked into the class of Brian Atyeo during my break. He is friend of mine who is also a fabulous painter and teacher and probably one of the deepest thinkers on the subject of art that I know. One of his students asked him about creating “sellable art”. I’ll never forget his response. He said that today if you can create great works of art with a unique voice then the world will beat a path to your door. I think he was dead on and I think that would please Tom Thomson and Group.

You’ve done quite a few paintings in Algonquin Park; what connection do you think artists share with this Park?

TIM: I think as a Canadian landscape artist there is a natural affinity with the park that goes back to Tom Thomson and the group of seven.I grew up reading about their exploits and looking at their paintings and dreaming that one day I might follow in their footsteps. It is impossible now for me to paint in the park without my mind drifting to thoughts of those artistic pioneers and the realization of just how fortunate I am to be living my dream.

What has been your most memorable experience in Algonquin Park?

TIM: No question! October of 2008 when I had the great good fortune to stay at the Brent Rangers cabin on Cedar Lake with seven other artists for a week. We are all good friends and professional artists and had to plan the trip two years in advance because of our busy schedules. Sterling Edwards flew up from North Carolina and Jean Pederson who lives in Calgary flew in from Atlanta where she had been teaching a workshop. The other artists: Marc Gagnon, Peter Marsh, Laura Culic, Barb McGuey and Carol Westcott are all from Ontario and we were able to get to the cabin by car. It was a fabulous week of painting plein aire during the day and discussing art during the evenings. We were a very prolific group; hanging our paintings on the countless rusty nails on the old cabin walls. Peter Marsh introduced us to the “rusty nail” a concoction of Drambuie and Scotch that was perfect to take out the chill of a long days painting and thus “The Rusty Nail Painters” were born.

What do you look for in selecting a ‘paintable’ scene?

TIM: When I am searching for subject matter the first thing that I look for is a strong composition. “Composition” is probably the most misunderstood or least understood aspect of painting. After thousands of years of mankind putting paint on a two dimensional surface there has developed this realization that when certain things are done on the painting surface it will cause certain predictable responses in the viewer. In fact the viewers eye travels around the painting… at times like a car on a roller coaster and at times like the ball in a pinball game. It is the artist’s job to choreograph this movement of the viewer’s eye through the use of shapes, values, edges and colour to name but a few of the artist’s tools. A strong composition will first of all reach out and grab the viewer’s attention but then will hold the interest as the viewer engages in a visual dance with the painting. You can always tell a strong composition by the reaction of those that see it. They will be immediately drawn to it but then will often stand in front of it for several minutes or even much longer. Over time there have been developed a series of rules and guidelines which recognize this phenomena which we call the theory of composition. The beauty of these reactions is that they happen because of how our eyes and brains are hardwired and millions of years of evolution… so someone who knows nothing about composition or painting will react to the visual stimulus in exactly the same way as an accomplished artist… they just won’t know why.

People have often described your work as innovative; what, do you think, distinguishes your landscape paintings from other painters of a similar style?

TIM: I think that first of all my work has a different look because my process is so contrary to traditional painting… My extensive training in watercolour has had a great influence on my style … as a watercolour painter you think differently about planning the various stages of the painting and this results in a look that is quite different from the norm. Also my use of colour… I don’t use any browns or neutrals but only use vivid pure hues. I also use a very extensive selection of colours which is quite contrary to accepted practice. There is a prevalent school of thought that says using too many colours can be overwhelming to the artist, so it is better to use a limited palette. I used to do a lot of teaching and one of the courses that I developed and taught was exclusively on colour and composition. I think that experience allows me to work with a myriad of very bright vibrant colours without it ever getting garish or disrupting the overall unity of the painting.

You’re also known for your portrait works; what are the fundamental differences or similarities between your watercolour portraits and landscape paintings?

TIM: The main difference between portrait work and my current work is that the subject matter is king in portraiture, particularly when it is a commissioned portrait. The nose on the paper must match the nose of the subject… same with the eyes, mouth etc. You cannot change these

lines for compositional effect and still expect to have a happy client. Once you have pencilled in the features accurately that pencil line is a tyrant that must be obeyed. In my current work I have the freedom to move things around however I please as long as I am faithful to the nature of whatever it is the brush stroke is supposed to represent. The similarity has to do with light and the properties of light. I always tried to create portraits that were studies in light paying particular attention to the reflected light that appeared in the shadows. Those same principals guide my hand when I am painting the effect of the sun on the trees in my current work.

You’ve become quite popular in recent years; what do you think it is that people see in your work that draws them in?

TIM: I think the first thing that people respond to in my work is the emotional response that it creates. I paint from a position of joy and I think that is evident and is translated to the viewer. Many of my clients have told me that when they are having a bad day and they walk into a room and see their painting of mine it just perks them up and makes them feel better. Add to that the fact that I have a somewhat unique style with strong compositions that are competently executed and I think that explains it. Plus I work very, very hard at this.

J.E.H. Macdonald once said: “To paint from nature is to realize one’s sensations, not to copy what is before one.” What do you think your paintings are meant to convey to the viewer?

TIM: As I mentioned earlier I just want to express the joy that can be felt when you forget about the hustle and bustle of your daily life and just try to take in the majesty of nature.I have had many clients tell me that since seeing my work they can no longer take a walk in the woods without gazing upward to appreciate the sun streaming through the branches… something they were oblivious to before. I think that is our job as artists… to teach people how to see and appreciate the beauty that is there before us… often in the most mundane things.